Wounded Military Veteran Finds New Purpose In Helping Others Like Him

A wounded war veteran is expressing his gratitude for the life he has by paying it forward.

Army veteran Bobby Henline suffered a traumatic accident in 2007, when an explosion in a vehicle in Iraq killed many of his men. While he managed to survive the incident, the blast burned as much as 38 percent of his body.

After getting a part of his left arm amputated and undergoing more than 40 surgeries over a period of nine years, Henline now wants to be a source of hope for other wounded veterans like himself. Former soldiers who lose their limbs or cannot serve in the Army any longer due to injuries or poor physical health are often left unemployed and with a sense of hopelessness.

In order to deal with the issue, Henline plans to open a restaurant that will give veterans jobs and a purpose in life. He hopes that all jobs at the restaurant will be taken up by the vets so that they can work with one another and inspire each other in the process. For now, Henline is looking for finances to fund the project.

He set up a GoFundMe page in February, which has so far received $44,000 in donations from various sources. However, the amount is still far away from Henline’s goal that is around $300,000.

"I'm trying to give back," Henline told People. "This is a great way to do it, through empowerment and food. God kept me alive for a reason. I want to help, and offer other veterans a way to support themselves and their families.”

“In the military, it is always ‘lead by example,’ so I am stepping up to be the example so others can follow and believe it can be done,” Henline wrote on his GoFundMe page. Further details of the project are also mentioned there.

Henline is the perfect example for hope in times of despair. By working on this project, he is not only serving his purpose in life, but is also making others like himself believe that they can still give back to the world despite the scars of war.